Reading Themes -> Picture Books -> Starting School

Ahlberg, Allan. STARTING SCHOOL.  [Picture Book AH]
This gently humorous book will put preschoolers' jitters to rest by showing them just what going to school is all about.

Anholt, Catherine. BILLY AND THE BIG NEW SCHOOL.  [Picture Book AN]
Billy is nervous about school, but he learns to take very good care of himself.

Aseltine, Lorraine.  FIRST GRADE CAN WAIT.  [Picture Book AS]
Luke does not feel ready to move from kindergarten into the 1^st grade and he is relieved when his parents and his teacher decide he can stay in kindergarten for another year.

Barrett, Mary Brigid. DAY CARE DAYS.  [Picture Book BA]
A little boy recounts the events of his family’s busy day, from waking up, getting dressed and off to day care, until his daddy picks him and his baby brother up and brings them home.

Brenner, Emily. ON THE FIRST DAY OF GRADE SCHOOL. [Picture Book BR]
In this cumulative silly rhyme, a teacher receives an array of animals from her adoring students.

Brillhart, Julie. MOLLY RIDES THE SCHOOL BUS.  [Picture Book BR]
Molly is warned about riding the school bus on her first day of kindergarten, but a friendly older girl helps her adjust.

Breskin, Jane Zalben. DON’T GO!  [Picture Book BR]
On the first day of preschool, Daniel gradually overcomes his nervousness as he plays in the sandbox, collects leaves, and bakes cookies.  Includes tips for parents on getting ready for preschool and a recipe for pumpkin cookies.

Brown, Marc. D.W.’s GUIDE TO PRESCHOOL. [Picture Book BR]
D.W., Arthur’s fun and sassy little sister, is here to help new preschoolers get through the first day.

Brunhoff, Laurent de. BABAR GOES TO SCHOOL. [Picture Book BR]
Babar has forgotten how hard it is to be a child, so he attends grade school for a day with Pom, Flora, Isabelle and Alexander.

Carlson, Nancy. LOOK OUT KINDERGARTEN, HERE I COME!  [Picture Book CA]
Even though Henry is looking forward to going to Kindergarten, he is not sure about staying once he gets there.

Child, Lauren. I AM TOO ABSOLUTELY SMALL FOR SCHOOL. [Picture Book CH]
When Lola is worried about starting school, her older brother Charlie reassures her.

Creech, Sharon. FINE, FINE SCHOOL. [Picture Book CR]
When a principal loves his school so much that he wants the children to attend classes every day of the year, it's up to his students to show him free time is a good thing, too.

Crews, Donald.  SCHOOL BUS.  [Picture Book CR]
Follows the progress of school buses as they take children to school and bring them home again.

Davis, Lee. P.B. BEAR’S SCHOOL DAY.  [Picture Book DA]
Pack your bag and join P.B. Bear the teddy bear for a day at school.

Edwards, Becky. MY FIRST DAY AT NURSERY SCHOOL.  [Picture Book ED]
A little girl’s anxiousness about attending nursery school is relieved when she discovers how much fun it really is.

Flood, Nancy.  I’LL GO TO SCHOOL IF -.  [Picture Book FL]
Afraid of the first day of school, a boy says that he will attend only if he can go on a rocket or a lion, but his imaginative suggestions are balanced by his mother’s practicality.

Forward, Toby. WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY? THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. [Picture Book FO]
A child and his mother both experience a day of firsts: his exciting first day at school, and her first day at a new job.

Harris, Robie. I AM NOT GOING TO SCHOOL TODAY. [Picture Book HA]
A little boy decides to skip his first day of school, because on the first day one doesn’t know anything, but on the second, one knows everything.

Henkes, Kevin.  JESSICA.  [Picture Book HE]
Ruthie does everything with her imaginary friend Jessica and then on her first day at kindergarten, she meets a real new friend with the same name.

Henkes, Kevin. WEMBERLY WORRIED.  [Picture Book HE]
Wemberly worries about everything! But, she conquers her biggest worry – starting school – with the help of a new friend.

Hest, Amy. OFF TO SCHOOL, BABY DUCK!  [Picture Book HE]
Baby Duck experiences the fear of the first day of school, but with a little help from grandpa, everything turns out okay in the end.

Hill, Eric. SPOT GOES TO SCHOOL.  [Picture Book HI]
Spot has fun at school.

Horse, Harry. LITTLE RABBIT GOES TO SCHOOL. [Picture Book HO]
Little Rabbit take his favorite toy along for his first day of school and when there is trouble, he blames it all on Charlie Horse.

Jackson, Ellen. IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL WE GO! : FIRST DAY STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. [Picture Book JA]
In simple, easy to read text, describes what the first day of school might be like for a child in Kenya, Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Peru, Germany, India, Russia and the United States.

Johnston, Tony.  SPARKY AND EDDIE: THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.  [Early Reader J]
Even though they are not in the same class, two young friends are glad they decided to give school a try.

Langreuter, Jutta.  LITTLE BEAR GOES TO KINDERGARTEN.  [Picture Book LA]
Little Bear likes the teacher, the other children and the activities on his first day of kindergarten, but he doesn’t want his mother to leave.

Levitin, Sonia. WHEN KANGAROO GOES TO SCHOOL.  [Picture Book LE]
Kangaroo learns the proper way to be have on the first day of school.

London, Jonathan.  FROGGY GOES TO SCHOOL. [Picture Book LO]
Froggy is nervous about his first day of school, but, even though it's hard to sit still, he has a wonderful time.

Mackall, Dandi Daley. FIRST DAY. [Picture Book MA]
The first day of school starts out filled with doubt, but after facing fear of the big kids, reciting the alphabet with ease, and learning about recess, a child can’t help but look forward to day two.

McCourt, Lisa. IT’S TIME FOR SCHOOL STINKY FACE.  [Picture Book MC]
As a young boy wonders about all the things that might go wrong at school, his mother reassures him.

McGhee, Alison. COUNTDOWN TO KINDERGARTEN. [Picture Book MC]
Ten days before the start of kindergarten, a pre-kindergartener cannot tie her shoes and fears the worst. Soon her fears dissolve as she discovers that kindergarten is a fun place for learning. 

Middleton, Charlotte. ENRICO STARTS SCHOOL. [Picture Book MI]
Enrico the cat starts school, but at first he doesn’t know how to make friends.

Pak, Soyung. SUMI’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL EVER. [Picture Book PA]
A thoughtful story about a young Korean girl trying to find her place in a new classroom on the first day of school.

Penn, Audrey. KISSING HAND.  [Picture Book PE]
When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten for the first time, his mother teaches him a secret way to carry her love with him.

Poydar, Nancy. FIRST DAY, HOORAY!  [Picture Book PO]
All over town everyone is getting ready for the exciting first day of school.

Rankin, Joan. FIRST DAY.  [Picture Book RA]
Little Haybillybun’s mom is worried about the first day of preschool too until she learns that her child as lots of fun at the school.

Rockwell, Anne. WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN.  [Picture Book RO]
A boy visits the classroom where he will attend kindergarten the following fall and finds out what is in store for him.

Rogers, Jacqueline. TIPTOE INTO KINDERGARTEN.  [Picture Book RO]
A preschooler tiptoes into her older brother’s kindergarten classroom to find paints, puzzles, blocks, books and other exciting things.

Rusackas, Francesca. I LOVE YOU ALL DAY LONG.  [Picture Book RU]
When little pig worries about going to school, his mother reassures him.

Schaefer, Carole Lexa. SOMEONE SAYS. [Picture Book SC]
A day at preschool has leaping frogs, dancing ponies, flapping wings, eating like tigers, and all the things that children can dream.

Schwartz, Amy.  ANNABELLE SWIFT, KINDERGARTNER.  [Picture Book SC]
Although some of the things her older sister taught her at home seem a little unusual at school, other lessons help make her first day in kindergarten a success.

Sinisi, Ellen. HURRAY FOR PRE-K! [Picture Book SI]
Reading, playing and singing, it’s all in a day’s work for a preschooler.

Skarmeas, Nancy J. MY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.  [Picture Book SK]
Daniel liked preschool just fine, but he is not so sure he wants to go to kindergarten.

Slate, Joseph. MISS BINDERGARTEN GETS READY FOR KINDERGARTEN.  [Picture Book SL]
The letters of the alphabet are introduced as Miss Bindergarten and her students get ready for kindergarten. Enjoy other Miss Bindergarten stories too!

Sturges, Philemon. I LOVE SCHOOL! [Picture Book ST]
A brother and sister describe the things they love to do during their day at kindergarten.

Thompson, Lauren. MOUSE’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. [Picture Book TH]
A little mouse has fun discovering fun things about school.

Wells, Rosemary. MY KINDERGARTEN. [Picture Book WE]
Shows what happens during a year in kindergarten, from learning the alphabet, counting to ten, reading, and more.

Wild, Margaret. TOM GOES TO KINDERGARTEN. [Picture Book WI]
When Tom, a young panda, goes to his very first day of kindergarten, his whole family stays and plays and wishes they could be in kindergarten too.

School Stories

Carlson, Nancy. IT’S NOT MY FAULT! [Picture Book CA]
When he is called to the principal's office, George hurries to explain that other people were to blame for the many things that went wrong during the day, from his late arrival to the escape of some mice.

Dakos, Kalli. OUR PRINCIPAL PROMIMSED TO KISS A PIG. [Picture Book DA]
When the school principal promises to kiss a pig if the students read 10,000 books, a girl volunteers Hamlet, her unwilling, Shakespeare-quoting pet pig.

Freeman, Don. CORDUROY GOES TO SCHOOL.  [Picture Book FR]
Corduroy has fun at school.  A lift-the-flap book.

Gorbachev, Valeri. CHICKEN CHICKENS GO TO SCHOOL. [Picture Book GO]
Two little chickens fear they won’t make any friends at school.

Harper, Jessica. LIZZY'S UPS AND DOWNS : NOT AN ORDINARY SCHOOL DAY. [Picture Book HA]

Kirk, Daniel. LUNCHROOM LIZARD. [Picture Book KI]
Gil the gecko escapes from his tank and wanders through the school lunchroom, where plenty of drama is unfolding.

Lasky, Kathryn. SHOW AND TELL BUNNIES. [Picture Book LA]
Clyde is nervous about what he should take for show and tell, but he ends up sharing a wonderful surprise with his class.

Numeroff, Laura. IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO SCHOOL.  [Picture Book NU]
Follows a boy and his mouse through a busy day at school.

Martin, Ann.  RACHEL PARKER, KINDERGARTEN SHOW-OFF.  [Picture Book MA]
5-year-old Olivia’s new neighbor, Rachel, is in her kindergarten class, and they must overcome feelings of jealousy and competition to become friends.

Reiss, Mike. LATE FOR SCHOOL. [Picture Book RE]
A boy who has never been late to school runs into some very strange obstacles as he hurries on his way, only to discover when he arrives that he is a day early!

Roche, Denis. BEST CLASS PICTURE EVER! [Picture Book RO]
It’s class picture day, but nothing is going right!

Saltzberg, Barney. CRAZY HAIR DAY. [Picture Book SA]
Stanley is excited about Crazy Hair Day at his school, until he discovers that he has gotten the date wrong.  
 

Schwartz, Amy. THINGS I LEARNED IN SECOND GRADE. [Picture Book SC]
A boy shares all of the things he learned and how he changed in second grade, what he still wonders about, and what he hopes to accomplish when he is in third grade.

Teague, Mark. SECRET SHORTCUT. [Picture Book TE]
Because Wendell and Floyd have a problem getting to school on time, they decide to take a shortcut that, however, leads to unexpected adventures.

Thaler, Mike. THE BLACK LAGOON SERIES: [Picture Book THA]
Enjoy these wacky stories that assuage fears about attending school!

CAFETERIA LADY FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

GYM TEACHER FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

LIBRARIAN FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

PRINCIPLE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

SCHOOL BUS DRIVER FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

SCHOOL NURSE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

TEACHER FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

Wells, Rosemary. GET SET FOR KINDERGARTEN (Series) [Picture Book WE]

DISCOVER AND EXPLORE. 

HOW MANY? HOW MUCH? 

LETTERS AND SOUNDS. 

WORLD AROUND US. 

Wells, Rosemary. TIMOTHY’S TALES FROM HILLTOP SCHOOL. [Picture Book WE]
A collection of six stories featuring the teachers and students of Hilltop School as they learn about taking turns, working together, and never giving up.

Wilson, Karma. SWEET BRIAR GOES TO SCHOOL. [Picture Book WI]
The other animals at school make fun of Sweet Briar because she is a skunk, until she uses her scent to chase away a hungry wolf.

First 100 Days of School

Carlson, Nancy. HENRY’S 100 DAYS OF KINDERGARTEN. [Picture Book CA]
To celebrate the 100^th day of kindergarten, each student brings in anexample of 100 for show-and-tell, including a 100-year old relative, and Ms. Bradley shares the jar of 100 jelly beans that have marked the days.

Franco, Betsy. COUNTING OUR WAY TO THE 100^th DAY! [Picture Book FR]
Join the counting fun. It takes just a poem a day to count down to the 100^th day of school.

Harris, Trudy. 100 DAYS OF SCHOOL. [Picture Book HA]
A series of rhymes illustrates different ways to count to 100 such as by adding the ten toes of ten children or ninety-nine train cars plus one caboose.

Rockwell, Anne. 100 SCHOOL DAYS.  [Picture Book RO]
Mrs. Madoff’s class keeps track of the days they have been in school.

Rogers, Jacqueline. KINDERGARTEN COUNT TO 100. [Alphabet/Counting Picture Book RO]
It’s time for kindergarten! Count 1 jumping puppy, 2 sisters, 3 eating breakfast, 4 lunches to pack, and more!

Schiller, Pam. 100^TH DAY OF SCHOOL. [JE 513 Early Nonfiction]
Through colorful pictures, describes the ways of celebrating the one hundredth day of school, such as making hats with one hundred stickers, being quiet for 100 seconds, and recycling one hundred cans.

Wells, Rosemary. EMILY’S FIRST 100 DAYS OF SCHOOL.  [Alphabet/Counting Picture Book WE]
Starting with number one for the first day of school, Emily learns the numbers to one hundred in many different ways.

Wilson, Sarah. BLUE’S FIRST 100 DAYS OF SCHOOL. [Picture Book WI]
Blue is learning to count to 100 in school and there is a surprise planned when they reach 100.

End of School Year

Boelts, Maribeth. WHEN IT’S THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. [Picture Book BO]
A boy tells how he will change his behavior on the last day of school.

Poydar, Nancy. LAST DAY, HOORAY! [Picture Book PO]
On the last day of school, Ivy, her classmates, and teachers dream of summer as they clean and prepare for the last party of the school year.

Guides for Parents

Berne, Sue. STARTING SCHOOL: HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD BE PREPARED. [372.21 B Parent-Teacher]

Borden, Marian.  SMART START: THE PARENTS’ COMPLETE GUIDE TO PRESCHOOL EDUCATION.   [Nonfiction 372.21 B]

Elovson, Allana.  KINDERGARTEN SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: THE BEFORE SCHOOL CHECKLIST AND GUIDE FOR PARENTS.  [649.68 E Parent-Teacher]

Hirsch, E. D. WHAT YOUR KINDERGARTENER NEEDS TO KNOW: PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR A LIFETIME OF LEARNING.   [372.19 H Parent-Teacher]

Karnofsky, Florence.  HOW TO PREPARE YOUR CHILD: SMART KIDS, BETTER GRADES. [372.218 K Parent-Teacher]